The Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Fr. Obed Muriungi Karobia as Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Nairobi.
The appointment was announced in Rome on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at noon, corresponding to 2:00PM local time in Kenya, and conveyed during Mass at the Holy Family Basilica.
It was formally communicated to Kenyan bishops through the Apostolic Nuncio to Kenya, Archbishop Bert Van Megen.
The move set to reinforce pastoral leadership within one of the country’s most active Catholic jurisdictions.
Bishop-elect Karobia, a member of the Franciscan Order, was born on June 29, 1979, in Meru.
He made his simple profession in 2004 and his solemn profession in 2010 before being ordained a priest in 2012.
In 2019, he was elected the first Minister Provincial of the Province of St. Francis in Kenya.
Until his elevation, he has been serving as the Supreme Moderator of the Franciscan Servants of Mary Queen of Love Fraternity, a religious community of priests and brothers.
As Auxiliary Bishop, Karobia will assist the Archbishop of Nairobi in pastoral governance, including guiding the faithful, expanding outreach programmes, and strengthening ecclesiastical structures across the archdiocese.
